


A Little Help From Your Friends

by Chameleononplaid



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 12:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12481092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chameleononplaid/pseuds/Chameleononplaid
Summary: A Halloween one-shot. Halloween brings a lot of parties to college campuses. It also allows Oliver Queen to meet Gothic Felicity Smoak. Now they need to see if they can make it together despite all the differences between them.





	A Little Help From Your Friends

            College parties. Felicity hated them. Halloween parties were even worse. It gave everyone leave to hide behind their masks and act as inappropriately as possible.

            “Who are you, sweet cheeks?”

            Felicity turned to find a brilliant genius of a frat boy standing next to her. And she was being beyond sarcastic with that assessment. He was dressed as a Roman. _Wow. She had never seen that before. Not._ Felicity rolled her eyes at the concept that one of these boys might actually use their brain. “Elvira.”

            The guy made a motion to her chest. “Doesn’t she show more cleavage?”

            “That’s my mother,” Felicity deadpanned. Though it was true. It was her mother who tended to dress more provocatively.

            “Oh.” For a moment the guy looked crestfallen. She had ruined his dreams. Too bad. But, the guy quickly recovered and looked around for another potential target. “Is _she_ at the party?”

            Felicity sighed. Obviously this guy was further gone than he seemed. Did he really think her mother would be here? Sure, Felicity was younger than some of the other college kids, but that did not mean that her mother would be here. Though, if given the chance, Donna Smoak, certainly would have been. Felicity lifted a hand and pointed off to the far corner of the frat house where a group of kids were chugging beer. “Yeah. Over there.”

            The guy scurried away in search of the elusive Elvira while Felicity leaned back against the wall wondering why she even came here. She knew why. Her roommate insisted Felicity go so she could make out with her boyfriend in their dorm room. Felicity could only hope that her roommate cleaned down the place afterwards. The boyfriend was skanky.

            “Are you snarky with everyone or just frat boys?”

            Felicity found another male who invaded what she claimed as her own personal space. She opened her mouth to cut him down but her usual quick mind faltered. Felicity stood there and stared at the blonde guy. He was dressed simply in tight fitting jeans and a plain white t-shirt. James Dean. Only a mask covered half his face. It was supposed to be a masquerade party after all. Not that Felicity paid any mind to it. She had only arrived in her usual clothes and without a mask. Felicity only wore a mask if her Halloween costume called for it and since she was sans costume that meant no mask at all.

            “Cat catch your tongue?” he asked as a smile formed on his lips, making dimples appear under the black mask. He leaned forward slightly invading even more of her space and winked. “Too bad. I wanted a chance.”

            Another guy came forward. Felicity sighed. Did she have a magnet or something on her?

            Instead the guy barely paid her a bit of attention. He slapped James Dean on the back. This new guy was dressed in red scrubs. He had dark hair and was no less handsome than the other one. “What’s up? I just got here.”

            “Tommy.” James Dean perked up considerably. He nudged the new guy and gave him a bro hug. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

            Tommy shrugged and smiled. That’s when his attention caught on Felicity. This smile was different. Charming in a way that was meant to get exactly what he wanted. “I’m Tommy Merlyn.”

            The way he said his name it was like it should mean something. It didn’t, but she shook his extended hand anyway. “Hi.”

            The two guys stared at her expectantly. They were probably waiting for her to give them her name. They would be waiting a long time. She wasn’t here to make friends. Not that it mattered. She hardly came over to this campus much. Felicity was much more at MIT nearby where she attended classes.

            James Dean nodded down at her before addressing his friend. “That’s Elvira Jr. Or so she told the last guy who dared approach her.”

            Tommy frowned slightly. “That makes Elvira a MILF. Not exactly how I wanted to picture her.”

            “Thanks for that mental image,” Felicity said with a grimace. “I’ll never be able to fill my mind enough to cover that up.”

            “A nerdy Goth.” Tommy said with an ever bigger smile. A genuine one. He nudged his friend. “Good luck with this one.” Tommy nodded off to the side, Tommy took a step in that direction to try to see something. “I’m going to go hit up Rainbow Brite over there and see if she wants to dance.”

            James Dean glanced over at where his friend’s interest lie. He frowned. “I don’t think that’s Rainbow Brite.”

            “Ding Ding,” Felicity said waving a finger in the air. “One for the frat boy dressed as James Dean.”

            His eyes shot over to her. They felt like they penetrated right through her. It was disturbing and yet there was something about that look that had her body reacting on a primal level. “What do I win?”

            Felicity swallowed hard. She wished the wall wasn’t right behind her because she wanted desperately to back away from him. Not that he scared her. It was more like overwhelmed her, especially with that laser focus that he seemed to possess. “I… uh…”  

           He stepped forward so she had no choice but to flatten herself against the wall to maintain some space. He didn’t even allow her that. He only moved closer so that their hips were touching with each small movement. A hair’s breadth separated their chests and their breath mingled.

            She noticed his had a touch of mint to it. He must have just had a mint or brushed his teeth recently. Surprising because he looked like a guy who would have come here to drink.

            He raised his hand and with a very light touch his fingers brushed over her cheek before sweeping her black hair over her shoulder. Even Cooper Seldon, who she dated a few times now, did not make her feel so totally consumed by a single touch. If she wasn’t careful, she’d combust soon.

            Meeting his eyes, Felicity saw that he seemed confused by the fact that he felt the same. The playfulness of his nature had disappeared. Blue flames licked within his eyes. He raised his hand and leaned against the wall pushing himself slightly away from her. She watched as he closed his eyes under the black mask and shuddering breath escaped him.

            Felicity had no idea what compelled her. She raised a hand to lay it on his chest. He was solid muscle under her fingers. She was pretty sure under that shirt was a six pack to end all other six packs. So, why the hell was a guy like this even talking to her? Was it a joke? A bet? That would explain the last guy. Which frat kid could get the Goth girl to drop her panties? And, damn, if they didn’t send in their ringer.

            When his eyes opened, the blue was barely a ring around the darkness of the depths hidden there. His head dipped down and Felicity pushed up on the combat boots she wore to meet him halfway. The guy kissed like an angel. The Devil was an angel, right? Because this guy was temptation personified. It wasn’t fair.

            The guy’s free hand met her waist, his fingers biting deep into the flesh under the layers of clothes she wore. Felicity was sure by the strength of his grip that it was the only thing keeping him under control. She wished she could gather some of her own.

            Only she did not have to. The kiss ended fast enough when he jerked his lips from hers.

            “Fuck,” she heard him whisper as his forehead pressed into her own.

            Their breaths labored together as they stood there. Felicity was the first to open her eyes. When he managed to do the same they stared at each other.

            It was in that moment a bubbly blonde popped up next to them. She tugged at the guy’s arm. The one that still clenched her hip tight. “Ollie. I totally have to introduce you to my friend.”

            “Ollie.” Felicity rolled the name off of her tongue. It fit him and yet it didn’t. “Oliver.” That was much better.

            By the way his eyes flared, he agreed. He looked desperate to kiss her again. The blonde had other plans. Oliver gave in to her tugs and straightened from his leaning pose over Felicity. However, their eyes never broke contact. Not even for a second. “I’m coming back.”

            It was a promise. Felicity felt it right down to her bones. Which was the exact reason why she ran the second he disappeared into the crowd with the blonde.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

           

            “I’m going to find her,” Oliver told Tommy almost a week later.

            “You ever think she doesn’t want to be found?” Tommy asked. “What other girl have you ever had to chase?”

            “I’m going to find her,” Oliver said much more forcefully. It was only a question of how and when. Oliver had not gone to bed one night and not woken up without thinking about the Goth girl he had encountered.

            When he spotted Gordon approaching her, Oliver had gone over to see how badly the guy would tank. He was always great for a good laugh, especially when he thought he was being slick with the ladies. Oliver had needed a laugh. He and his girlfriend had called it quits a week before and Oliver was ready to move on. After a year of fighting, Oliver knew it was time to finally say enough was enough. When his girlfriend had called that night and tried to ask him why now, before she had been too shocked to ask, he told her he did not want to hear from her again. It was in that moment, Oliver had decided to come to the Halloween party.

            Then Elvira Jr. entered his life and he had never laughed so hard. She had the perfect comebacks. He had wanted more and so he approached her. She was this bright light in his mundane world. Something completely different from what he was used to. That was what drew him to her, but that wasn’t what made him stay. No, that was something else entirely.

            She made him feel things he never had before. It was an instant chemistry that was undeniable. The entire party faded away when they were close. It was not even just sexual chemistry, though they had that in spades. It was something that Oliver had yet to define. It made him want so much more, not only from her but from himself.

            “You think she’ll show at the party tomorrow?” Tommy asked drawing Oliver out of his thoughts. The party Tommy referred to was being held by the largest sorority on campus. It was their yearly day before Halloween bash that gathered everyone together from their campus and MIT. It attracted students and faculty alike.

            “I don’t know.” Elvira Jr. barely looked like she had wanted to attend the last party. Another reason to wonder why she was there. And why she disappeared so quickly. Oliver had spent the rest of the night trying to figure out where she had gone.

            “Are you going over to that seminar over at MIT tonight? It’s extra credit for class. And you need it bad after skipping so many classes.” Tommy might be talking about school, but his mind was definitely not focused there. His eyes were trained directly on a buxom brunette who smiled and waved at him as she passed with a couple of friends.

            “Doubtful,” Oliver told him as he nodded at the trio. None of them interested him. He was fully focused on one girl right now. Plus, extra credit was not going to help him at this point. He was failing computer class whether he showed up or not, so what was the point?

            “I’m thinking, I’ll go.” Tommy shrugged. “Extra credit could be useful since I have a feeling I am going to fail the mid-term.” Tommy nudged Oliver and gave him a wicked grin. “Plus, one of those nerdy chicks there must be looking for some male company that isn’t spewing computer codes and Periodic Tables. I’m totally bored with Laurel gone.”

            Oliver sighed heavily. He was not in search of a nerdy girl. Oliver wanted one and only one, which was a little strange for him to be so focused. “Fine. I’ll come with you.”

            Tommy grinned harder and slapped him in the chest. “You won’t regret it.”

            Oliver could only hope that was true.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            “Tell me again why I agreed to do this?” Felicity asked Professor Karen Smith as she rechecked the projector while the professor went over her notes. Everyone was supposed to arrive soon for the lecture and Felicity was ready to run. She hated being in front of people when she did not have to be.

            “Because you’re the best and I needed the best,” Professor Smith smiled over at Felicity. “Plus, it saves you from the monotony of your term paper.”

            “I guess.” Felicity finished with the projector and flopped into the other chair next to her mentor. She spun it in a circle before gazing out at the empty room. “Still… I guess it’s better than prepping for the Halloween party tomorrow over at the other campus, like my roommate wanted me to do.”

            “See. Bright spot,” the professor joked, pushing back some of her long auburn hair back from her face. “But, maybe you should go.”

            Felicity raised a finger to her mouth and opened it so she could put it in and make gagging noises. Karen laughed. She knew how much Felicity hated frats and sororities, let alone their inane parties. Raising her legs, Felicity plopped them up on top of the desk. She was fine until she leaned back. That’s when the chair decided to roll out from underneath her. Felicity squealed and her professor screamed.

            A pair of strong hands came out of nowhere and caught Felicity before she hurt her butt and lost her dignity. When she looked up, Felicity saw that the first was definitely true, but the second was debatable.

            “Felicity, are you okay?” Karen had already jumped out of her chair and gave her a once over in concern as Felicity came up on her feet.

            “I’m fine,” Felicity told her professor and Oliver as she straightened her clothes that had come askew at the grab. “You can let go now.”

            “I’m good,” Oliver told her with a huge grin on his face. His hands had yet to leave her waist and now with her shirt fixed, some of his fingers brushed over the bare skin that he had access to since the shirt was now over his hands. One of those fingers moved in a circular motion over her stomach, making her shiver. “Felicity.”

            _Shit. He now knew her name. Wait._ Karen just said it. He knew no more about her than what she knew about him. That was a good thing, right? Even footing. “What are you doing here?”

            “Same thing as you, probably.”

            Felicity shook him off and turned to narrow her eyes at him. “You’re helping to give a lecture on Programming Languages?”

            Oliver chuckled. It was a deep, rich sound that had Felicity’s toes curling in delight. Not that she would ever admit to that. Ever. “I might if I had any idea what you said.”

            Karen nudged Felicity and gave her a soft smile. “You know, I just realized I completely forgot my mouse in the car. I’ll be right back.”

            Felicity was confused. She glanced over her shoulder at the computer set up. The mouse was right there. Damn Karen and her matchmaking ways. She was the one who had introduced Felicity to Cooper Seldon, the guy Felicity was currently dating, in the first place.

            “We’re alone,” Oliver whispered for no reason. It drew Felicity’s attention back to him.

            “Doesn’t matter.” Felicity was about to pull out the professor’s chair to sit down and work on the laptop when she turned and faced Oliver again. There was no need for him to be there. She had half a mind to tell him that. “The lecture is starting soon. Why don’t you grab a seat? The back fills up pretty fast with all the other people who decide to come here to fall asleep.”

            Oliver crossed his arms and Felicity noticed the muscles that shifted with that movement. “I have no plans on falling asleep. Or sitting in the back.”

            “Suit yourself.” Felicity shrugged. What he did was of no interest to her. And, yes, she was completely lying to herself. Oliver was bound to be a distraction. The last thing she needed was to look out and find him in the crowd. Though, her speech teacher had said something about looking out into the crowd and picturing them naked. However, picturing Oliver naked might just have the opposite effect that she was going for. Her mouth watered at the thought.

            “I have every intention of sitting over there,” Oliver nodded off to one side, “and watching you.”

            Felicity was about to sit down and stumbled at this words. Frack. This time she caught herself, but he moved back by her side. Their gazes caught and Felicity froze. What the hell was it about this guy that shook her to her very core? “I… uh… I better check to make sure everything is plugged correctly.”

            She made her way away from him on heavy feet. It was like moving away from him defied some sort of gravitational pull. One that he didn’t deny because he followed her off to the side and grabbed her arm to stop her.

            “Go out with me.”

            It was not a demand or a request. Which is probably what led her to ask, “Tonight?”

            “Okay.” His grin split his face and made two deep dimples on his cheeks appear.

            “I didn’t… I mean I… It wasn’t supposed to be…” Felicity stumbled over every single sentence she tried to say to get out of this supposed date. He was beyond not her type and she was already seeing someone. Sure, there was no promise of exclusivity at this point, but Felicity was not the person who dated a bunch of guys at the same time. In fact, she never had the chance to even think about it before now. It was not like she was the most popular, or the prettiest, girl on campus.

            “Felicity,” he drew her name out, making her eyes rise to his. “Please.”

            There was something mesmerizing in the way he said her name, but the way he said please was even more compelling. Vampires had nothing on this guy. Hell, he could probably give them pointers. Especially as he slowly licked his lips and cocked his head expectantly to the side.

            “Please,” he repeated.

            It was that second request that had her nodding despite every reservation she had. He was a frat boy with absolutely no interest in what made her tick. Her computers. They were her lifeline for as long as she could remember. Even more so since her father had left when she was seven. It gave her a small link to a man she barely remembered. The first one who ever broke her heart and destroyed whatever trust she had in the male race.

            Oliver’s palms slid over her face, this thumb brushing briefly over her lips. His head lowered and it was like watching some cheesy romance flick, only she was the female lead. Oliver’s mouth brushed over hers in an imitation of a kiss before he looked her in the eyes. In those depths, Felicity saw the question that lingered there. Apparently, he found an answer within her own because his mouth clamped down on hers.

            Felicity began to shake at the intensity of the kiss. She had no choice but to wrap her arms around him just to remain upright. The kiss was all consuming making Felicity feel like she was on fire with a need that she did not know she could feel.

            Barely, Felicity registered the sounds of people coming into the hall. It seemed so far off. A throat clearing was much closer. As was Professor Smith’s chuckle. “Right. You keep doing that. I’ll start.”

            Felicity clenched onto Oliver’s shirt with every intention of telling him they had to stop. Only she used it to pull him even closer when he broke off slightly to take a precious breath. It was like no matter how much they needed to separate they couldn’t. God! She was turning into a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode.

            It took every bit of effort that she did not have to pull away from him. She ran around a chair that was sitting near them to put some space between them. Felicity clenched tight to the wood and took some well needed breaths. Looking up, Felicity saw the lower half of Oliver’s face was covered in her dark purple lipstick. His lips were swollen and, oh no, were there teeth marks near his bottom lip? She bit him? Frack!

            Her own lips felt chapped and sensitive. Raising a hand, she gently touched them. They were swollen as much as his were.

            It took a few minutes, and the sound of Karen’s voice, to return reason back to Felicity’s mind. She was supposed to be out there helping. Not hiding behind a curtain making out with one of the best looking guys she ever met. Felicity shook her head in an attempt to further clear her head.

            “I guess I better go.” Oliver jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward where Professor Smith was giving her lecture.

            “Why did you come? I mean not to the lecture, but earlier. Did you track me down?”

            Oliver shook his head and reached inside his leather jacket. He pulled out a folded up piece of paper and held it out to her. “I came for this.”

            Felicity accepted the paper and read it over. It was for extra credit. He needed to attend the lecture and get the professor to sign off that he had been there. There was a clause that said that Smith’s assistant could also sign the document. Glancing up at him, Felicity nodded down to the paper. “Do you have a pen? My bag is out there.”

            Reaching back in the pocket, Oliver extracted a pen. Felicity took it and signed the paper, handing both items back to him the second she was finished. She needed him to go. He was bad for her mental health. Oliver accepted them and they landed in the side pocket of his coat. He also buried his hands in each.

           

            There really wasn’t much more to say. Oliver was free to go. He had come and his paper was signed. Mission accomplished. However, the last thing he wanted to do was leave. The reason stood in front of him.

            Never had he felt such an instant connection to a complete stranger. Even his friendship with Tommy took time. More because they were always pushed together because they were the same age and their families were friends. Plus, they both shared a general distaste for Carter Bowen, a fellow friend of their families. “Felicity, I…”

            She shook her head and returned her hands to the back of the chair that still stood between them. She used it to shield herself from him. Not that the small wooden chair was much of a shield. He could easily kick it away without effort. “You might want to wash your face first.” She waved at her own chin and frowned. “Sorry.”

            Oliver scrubbed his leather jacket over his face. It came back with dark streaks on it. A small giggle bubbled up from Felicity and Oliver glanced over at her. “What?”

            “You made it worse.”

            “You should talk,” he teased. “The demented clown look was so last year.”

            “Frack!” Her hand raised to her face and she tried to rub off the lipstick that was streaked there. “How bad is it?”

            Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Adorable demented clown?”

            Felicity glanced around her and by the way her hands clenched, he was half sure she was looking for something to throw at him. Oliver reached out and cupped her face drawing it to his. He kissed her softly. Just enough to show her he had been teasing. If he lingered, Oliver was sure to sit on that chair and drag her down onto his lap. Something time and opportunity did not afford him.

            “Please go out with me,” he said against her lips. Oliver never begged for a girl to go out with him. They were usually much too eager to fall into his plans, if he wasn’t ejecting them from a bed he never invited them to. This one… He was willing to drop to his knees before if that’s what it took. What made this one girl so different from everyone else? The answer evaded him.

            “When?”

            Oliver silently cheered. “There’s a party tomorrow…”

            “No.” Felicity shook her head and stepped back. “I don’t do parties.”

            “You were at the one the other night,” he reminded her.

            “Not by choice,” she told him. “My roommate kicked me out and a friend of mine went there so I tagged along.”

            “Okay. When?” Oliver hoped he wasn’t leaving her with the opportunity to back out completely.

            Oliver watched her face change with each thought. She was so expressive. And, right now, he could tell she was warring within herself about why she agreed to come in the first place.

            “Tonight,” she said with a sigh. “Tonight works.”

            “Okay.” Oliver nodded at her. “Tonight.” He reached out and had to lean forward slightly to sweep a piece of her hair from her face. The dark strands were so soft in his hand. He rubbed them slightly before letting go. “Where?”

            Felicity named the hall just off the quad from where he had told Tommy he’d find her. Oliver nodded again. “Eight?”

            “Sorry,” Felicity said with a shake of her head. “My late class doesn’t end until seven thirty. I won’t be able to meet you until eight thirty. Is that okay?”

            “Yes.” Oliver reached out again and tilted her face up. He gave her smile even if everything in him demanded he kiss her again. “I’m looking forward to it.”

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            Felicity spent the rest of the lecture sitting in the chair completely unsure as to why she agreed to see Oliver again. Part of the reason she could not agree to come to the Halloween party was because she had a date with Cooper tomorrow. They were supposed to hit up the local cinema for a horror movie marathon before going over to the party. So, how was it she became _that_ girl? The one who strung two guys along.

            “How did it go?” Karen asked as she approached with a large grin on her freckled face.

            Felicity shrugged one shoulder, anything else took more of an effort than she felt like giving right now. “We have a date. Tonight. After my class.”

            “You might want to wash your face before you go there,” Karen said with a laugh. “Looks like things got interesting.”

            “I know. Demented clown, right?” Felicity said with a sigh.

            “Ouch!” Professor Smith knelt down by Felicity’s knees. “And here I thought Oliver Queen would have better lines and more tact than that.”

            “Queen?” Felicity met her mentor’s eyes. The woman nodded.

            “I thought you knew.” Karen gifted Felicity with a confused stare and motioned back to the computer where things had to be cleaned up before they headed out. “His face is on like every other tabloid. Plus, he’s always on those celebrity news websites.”

            Felicity shrugged. “I don’t pay much attention to that stuff.” That did not mean she didn’t know who Oliver Queen was. People talked. Even nerds. Especially nerds.

            Oliver Queen was some playboy from Starling City, a city all the way across the country. A whole hell of a lot closer to Vegas where Felicity grew up than Massachusetts. He was known to sleep with anything in a skirt, young or old. Though he had a tendency to be seen with models and actresses. Yup, Felicity knew enough to regret agreeing to be another notch on his bedpost. Not that she had any intention of sleeping with him.

            “Hey.” Karen reached out and grabbed Felicity’s arm. “If he’s forcing you…”

            “No,” Felicity told her shaking her head. “It’s not that. I’m still a little taken aback by the fact that he’s Oliver Queen.”

            It was something that continued to bother her. If she had known… There was no sense playing that game. Her head hurt enough.

            Felicity walked across the quad in search of him. He did not appear to be there yet. Figures. One of the other things she heard about him was that he was always late. Though he had been far from late earlier that day.

            The only people on the quad were a couple of people jogging past. One was a brunette with long hair that bounced across her back from the ponytail it was tucked into. Felicity had no idea why she caught her attention. Maybe it was the way she squealed in excitement and ran faster to get to something or someone. Someone. Definitely someone.

            She threw herself at a guy and wrapped her long tan legs around his waist while her arms entwined around his neck. The guy’s arms wrapped around her sweaty form. His hand cupped her ass to keep her secure in his embrace.

            Felicity wanted that. She wanted to be so excited to see who she was dating that she had to run and greet him. Kiss him like she had kissed Oliver earlier. Like there was no one else but that person. Or no one else who mattered.

            The woman carded her hands through the guy’s hair and kissed him gently. Yep. That was definitely what Felicity wanted in a partner. Something she doubted that she’d ever find with…

            Oliver Queen. That’s who was in the woman’s arms. Or was she in his? It didn’t matter. Felicity froze the second she recognized him. The woman had finally settled down on her own two feet. She was not quite as tall as Felicity first pictured. It left plenty of room for Felicity to see Oliver’s face over her shoulder.

            The bastard. Felicity shook her head as her teeth began to clench. She was not going to stand here and watch any more. It was not like he had any shame for his actions when he stood in the middle of the quad where anyone could see him despite the darkness of the night. It didn’t matter that the space was lit up by the lights that the college had for safety.

            Ducking her head, Felicity kept to the shadows. With her dark hair and clothes, Felicity would be able hard to spot there. It did not take her long to reach her car. At least one good thing came out of tonight. She found out exactly what kind of man Oliver Queen really was.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            “Is she here?” Laurel asked as Oliver continued to search the quad for the fifth time.

            “No.” Oliver glanced down at his watch. They agreed to meet at eight thirty. He even made it there right on time. He never did that. So, where was she? Was she okay? Did she stand him up? Every question put him more on edge.

            Laurel laughed. “Seriously? Did she stand you up? The almighty Oliver Queen.”

            “Don’t you need to finish your run?” Oliver glared over at her hoping that Tommy’s girlfriend, and one of his good friends, would just go away. He was humiliated enough.

            “If you told me what Felicity looks like, I might be able to help you.”

            “Fine.” Oliver swung around to face her completely. “She had black hair with a purple streak on each side of her head and wears all black. She’s into Goth or something.”

            “Elvira Jr.? You had a date with her?” Laurel stared back at him in shock. “Tommy mentioned her, but he said you didn’t know her name or where to find her.”

            “Jealous?” Oliver teased. He and Laurel had dated for a short time back in high school. Back before she and Tommy realized they were happier together than apart.

            “Not in the least,” she told him with a smile. “I want you to be happy.” Laurel punched him in the arm. “Did you find her at the seminar? Tommy mentioned that he saw you go in to get the Professor’s signature, but never saw you after that. Is that how you found out who she was and arranged this?”

            “Yes.” Oliver refused to elaborate. He did not tell Tommy and he certainly had no intention of sharing with Laurel. This thing with Felicity was delicate. Apparently, more delicate than he believed if Felicity could not even bother to show up.

            “You have her number?” Laurel asked. “You could call her, because she’s definitely not here.”

            “No. I don’t.” Damn it. Right now, Oliver really wished he thought of it earlier. What if she was in an accident?

            Laurel held up a finger. “Hold that thought.” She grimaced at whatever passed over his face. “Actually, think of something better while I do something.” She whistled over to guy who was running past. “Hey, Lonnie.”

            “Laurel.” The guy came to a jogging stop next to them. “What’s up?”

            “Did you happen to see a Goth girl roaming the quad or the parking lot earlier?”

            “Goth? Like dark hair, clothes and all that?”

            Laurel looked in Oliver’s direction and he nodded. “Yeah. Ollie’s missing one.”

            Lonnie jerked his finger over his shoulder. “One left like fifteen minutes ago in some beat up old clunker. She came from out this way.” Lonnie looked down at his watch. “Yeah, I would say a little after eight thirty.” He shot Laurel a questioning look. “Surprised you didn’t see her.”

            Laurel shrugged. “I wasn’t really paying attention. I had my headphones in and then I saw Ollie and I ran to greet him.”

            “How is your sister doing?” Lonnie asked. Sara had been in a car accident with a drunk driver over two weeks ago and up until now Laurel had been back in Starling City helping out.

            “She’s good. Sara’s coming out of the hospital on Tuesday.”

            “That’s great. Tell her I said hi.” Lonnie pointed over to the dorms. “I gotta get going. My roommate has an early exam and wants lights out in an hour.”

            Oliver did not even bother to listen to the rest of the conversation. He was too preoccupied by the fact that Felicity had shown up. But something made her leave without coming to find him. There was no need for the sudden departure. Unless… Oliver swung around and grabbed Laurel’s arm. “Damn it, Laurel.”

            “What?” She blinked up at him in confusion.

            “You scared her away.”

            “Me?” Laurel looked even more confused. “What did I… Oh!” Laurel winced. “Sorry.”

            Oliver slapped a hand to his head and ran it through his hair, pulling strands along the way. Felicity saw him and Laurel. Not that there was anything happening between him and Laurel, but Felicity did not know that. Hell, Oliver had never even managed to get Felicity’s last name, let alone her number. How was he supposed to find her? “Professor Smith.”

            “Who?” Laurel stood there staring at him like he had gone crazy. Maybe he had.

            “Professor Smith over at MIT knows who she is. I just need to find her office and talk to her.” Oliver turned to go. He was a man on a mission. Only Laurel’s hand on his arm stopped him short. “What?”

            “It’s after nine on a Wednesday,” Laurel explained. “I seriously doubt she’s even at her office at this time of night. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

            “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” Oliver raged quietly. “The longer I wait the less chance Felicity will even talk to me.”

            Laurel let out a low whistle. “I wish you were only half this committed when we were dating.”

            “I’m not dating her,” Oliver pointed out. He waved his hands around the quad. “Obviously.”

            “Exactly,” Laurel said glaring at him before she walked away from him with a disgusted snort.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            “Knock. Knock,” Oliver said imitating his actions on Professor Smith’s open door at eight am the next morning. He had barely slept so coming here early was really no big deal, even if it would be any other day. Okay, so he’d miss a class or two, but it wasn’t something he had not done before. “Professor?”

            She looked up from the paperwork in front of her and smiled. “Mr. Queen. Come in. Please.”

            Oliver accepted the chair she indicated. Now all he had to do was follow through with the plan that had played in his head since the night before. “About…”

            “Felicity.” She nodded at him. It made him wonder how much she knew about what happened last night. “How did the date go?”

            “Did she tell you about it?” Oliver leaned forward in his seat intrigued to find out if Felicity had shared anything about what happened. When the redhead in front of him shook her head his heart sank a little.

            “Felicity might have mentioned that you planned one. Right around the time that I accidently spilled the beans on your last name.” Professor Smith smiled at him apologetically.

            She was a beautiful woman, even with the large smattering of freckles that consumed her face and the dark glasses that were perched on her nose. Oliver in any other situation would decide to flirt with her to see where things could go. That’s how Felicity affected him, because he could not even think about doing something like that. His mind was consumed with only her.

            “Sorry about that,” the professor continued. “I hope it did not affect the outcome.”

            “We never had a date,” Oliver told her. “I’m pretty sure she showed up, but I think she misunderstood a situation that she saw.” Oliver let out a sigh. “I think the fact that she knew my last name might have put some preconceptions into it.”

            Professor Smith winced. “I don’t know how to apologize enough for that. I thought with the way the two of you were acting that she might have already known.” She fiddled with a pen in front of her not quite meeting his eyes. “She’s not exactly forthcoming about what happened, but she has some trust issues where men are concerned.”

            Oliver rubbed his face as he took that in. “So, I’m screwed even before I began. Great.”  

            “Not necessarily.” The professor pointed her pen at him. “Tell me about this misunderstanding.”

            “My ex….”

            “Already not a great lead in, Mr. Queen,” she scolded.

            Shaking his head, Oliver decided to continue, even if she might be right. “My ex saw me. We’re still friends and she’s currently dating my best friend. Anyway, she saw me after being away for a few weeks because her sister was in a really bad car accident when I came to the quad to meet Felicity.” Oliver flinched as he pictured how the whole situation must have looked to Felicity, or anyone else, who did not know the whole story. “She was a little too enthusiastic in her greeting.” Oliver held his hands up in order to further his case. “I swear it was nothing.”

            “What kind of nothing is nothing?” She leaned back in her chair and studied him. Professor Smith did not seem like she was just going to accept him at his word. Maybe that was for the best since Felicity would also be hard to convince. But, Oliver felt like he was sitting in front of the headmaster waiting for his mother to come and pick him up after being expelled from school.

            “She ran and leapt into my arms.” Yeah, he could tell from her face that he was royally screwed.

            A harsh intake of breath was the only sound in the room. Finally, she shook her head in disappointment. “Are all of your friends this enthusiastic?”

            “I swear this was a one-time thing. It never happened before and after Laurel found out I was waiting for a date, she felt really bad.” However, when Laurel left him the other night, she had been pissed. More because she realized how much more this complete stranger meant to him than she ever did. “I doubt Laurel is even in the mood to speak to me right now, let alone anything else.”

            Professor Smith steepled her fingers in front of her. Her dark green eyes bored into him. “And where does Felicity fall in all of this? Will she just be another conquest, Mr. Queen? Because Felicity is one of my favorite students and I’d prefer to not see her hurt.”

            “She’s not just another conquest. And I’ll try really hard not to hurt her again.”

            The professor’s smile grew from the line of her lips. When it reached full peak, he knew he had won some sort of battle. “That was a very smart answer, Mr. Queen. No one can promise to never hurt someone. Especially ones we really care about. They always seem to be caught in the crossfire.” Once more she sat there studying him, but this time he felt like he was being measured up. It made him uneasy. He was completely unsure of where this conversation was leading. Then when she leaned forward, Oliver was sure all that he did, no matter how hard he pleaded, was over. He was surprised when he heard her words. “Okay. I’ll help you.”

            Oliver’s whole body relaxed. He let out a deep breath and began to smile. “Thank you.”

            She nodded at him and tapped her pen again. “What do you need from me?”

            “Can I get her last name and where to find her?”

            Professor Smith shook her head this time. “That’s not how I work. And, frankly, I can’t take the chance you’ll upset her school day. College is very important to her. That’s the first thing you need to know. Felicity is driven and passionate about what, and who, she loves.”  

           Oliver shot her a look, mainly because there was an underlining message in what she was telling him. He caught it, but he was not quite sure if he was capable of being the guy that the professor was telling him he needed to be for Felicity’s sake. He wanted to be, though. The underlining question was if Felicity already had deep feelings for someone else. “Is she in love with someone already?”

            She shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know about love, but, yes, Felicity is currently seeing someone else. And, unlike you, she’s not one to divide her interests so easily. If you understand my meaning.”

            Felicity would not cheat. That’s what she was saying. And Oliver was the one who came last. That made him inwardly chuckle. For once he was placed on the other side of the fence. Maybe Laurel was not wrong. It sucked over here.

            “I see you do.” Professor Smith rose gracefully from her chair dropping her pen on her desk before she circled around it. She took a seat on the edge near where Oliver was seated and crossed her arms. “I will talk to her. If she decides that she’s willing to take a chance, where would you like to meet?”

            “I’ll be at the sorority party on campus tonight. Everyone will pretty much be there. It’s a yearly event as you probably know.”

            “I’ve been,” she said with a nod. Her eyes became distant for a moment. “I met my fiancée there.”

            Oliver smiled at her. “He’s a lucky guy.”

            Professor Smith returned back to the present and smiled at him. “Yes, she was but I lost her last year.”

            “I’m sorry.” Oliver did not know what else to say. He never really had to do much with loss. The only person he lost in his life was Tommy’s mother.

            “I’m not.” Professor Smith pushed to her feet. “I have a beautiful daughter that reminds me of her mother every day. One that’s very much like Felicity, so you see why I’m this protective.”

            “Yes, I do.” Oliver knew his own mother would be the same way. She had always protected him from the harsh realities of life. Maybe, sometimes, too much.

            “Good.” The professor reached out and shook his hand. “I’ll see what I can do for you. There’s no guarantees. Felicity is a very smart and resilient young woman who makes her own choices. I hope that you will respect whatever that choice may be.”

            “I will,” Oliver promised. Though, he could only hope that she would choose him. He hated to admit it, but his heart would break just a little at not being able to see Felicity ever again. “Thank you.”

            “Thank you for reminding me how precious love is when we have it.” She winked at him before waving him back toward her door.

           

            Karen waited for Oliver to leave before she pulled the picture of her fiancée out of her drawer. She had hidden it there over the past year unable to look at it, even if it also contained her beautiful daughter. Taking it out, Karen placed it back on her desk. She was ready to see her love of her life again without a severe bout of sadness invading.

            Oliver and Felicity might not realize it yet, but they had a great love in store for them. Much like Karen had. It was the greatest feeling ever, but you had to be ready for it. She wasn’t quite sure that they were. However, she had to see if they could handle it, because both of them deserved it.

            Picking up her phone, Karen called Charles Rounet’s office. He was about to have Felicity in his class and he owed her a favor. It would be no trouble for him to send Felicity over to her without losing credit.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            Felicity flopped back on her bed. Her conversation with Karen left her with a lot of things to think about. The woman would not give her a definitive answer of what she would do if she was placed in Felicity’s situation. Which made this all the harder for Felicity. Professor Smith was her mentor and Felicity fully respected her opinion.

            Oliver had not been there to meet up with someone else. It just happened his ex, who was still his friend, _that was a good thing right_ , was there. Felicity had not dated enough to be able to understand being friends with a previous boyfriend. She guessed it was possible. Felicity did not possess a mean bone in her body, so she doubted that she would ever really hate anyone. She had even forgiven the bullies who used to tease her back in school.

            However, how hard was it to say no to your ex when they acted inappropriately? Felicity sighed. Probably as hard as it was to say no to a guy you already agreed to date. Question was which guy was she going to use it on?

            Felicity really liked Cooper. She could really see the two of them going the distance, way past college. They were a lot alike, yet different enough that their relationship would always be interesting.

            Oliver, on the other hand, was almost Cooper’s complete opposite. No matter how you studied it, Felicity and Oliver would never match up on paper. However, there was this undeniable chemistry that sparked between them. When they touched, that spark combusted. In her scientific mind, that scared her because sparks fizzled. It lost its glow and faded away. Which was an excellent reason for her to say no to Oliver. It wasn’t meant to last.

            Only every time she tried to convince herself that was the case, it felt wrong. By the time Cooper called up to her dorm room to see if she was ready to head out, Felicity was bombarded by the worst headache she ever remembered having.

            “You mind if I sit out tonight, Coop?” Felicity said to him after she had slunk down to the main floor of the dorm to meet him. “My head is killing me.”

            Cooper pulled her into a hug and rubbed the hair on her head. It was comforting and just what she needed at the moment. She was half tempted to ask him up to her room and just lay with him on her bed and watch television the rest of the night. “Sure. Just feel better. Okay?”

            Felicity nodded against his thin chest. One that she could get used to. But did she want to get used to it or did she want to crave being there like she did with Oliver? Pulling back, Felicity raised her eyes to Cooper’s face. A handsome face for a good man. Just he wasn’t the one she wanted. “Cooper, I have a question.”

            “Sure.” He indicated a nearby bench and they both sat down. “What’s going on?”

            “First, I want to tell you that I really do have a headache. I’m not lying about that.” Felicity reached out for his hands and squeezed them. She noticed that Cooper shut down slightly and stiffened at her touch after her words. “Second, there’s this guy…”

            “What?” Cooper pulled his hands from hers. “Are you breaking up with me?”

            “Yes. No. I don’t know.” Felicity nodded, then shook her head before she shrugged. “I really don’t know. It’s complicated.”

            “Who is it?” Cooper jumped up and stared down at her. One of the dark strands of his hair fell across his forehead right above his angry eyes. “It’s Martin Pollak, isn’t it?”

            “No,” Felicity said vehemently. Martin Pollack, seriously? He was in her Unified Engineering IV class. Martin creeped her out on a good day with his bright blonde hair and his blue eyes that were almost so light that it just looked like he had small black circles within his eyes. Add into that he always tried to lean over her for answers or to catch up on notes and… Just, no. Felicity shuddered. “It’s Oliver Queen.”

            “Queen?” Cooper relaxed slightly and began to laugh. “Queen?” Now Cooper doubled over in laughter. “Sure. You and Oliver Queen.”

            One of her dorm mates walked past and Cooper grabbed her arm. “Want to hear something funny? My girlfriend thinks that Oliver Queen actually wants to date her.”

            The pretty blonde turned to look in Felicity’s direction. The look was practically murderous. “She doesn’t stand a chance in hell of even gaining his attention.”

            Not only had she gained it, Felicity made him search her out. Not by choice, but he did. Staring at the two of them, Felicity rose. She had her answer now. “You’re right. It must be the headache. I’m going to go rest.”

            Felicity pushed past the two of them and went up to her room. A note was pinned there from her roommate. She had left to go to the Halloween party at Oliver’s campus. Exactly the same place Felicity planned to be very soon. There was only one problem. She had no costume to wear.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

 

            Karen showed up an hour later with a bag draped over her arm. “You’re fairy Godmother is here.”

            Felicity giggled at the seriousness in which her mentor said that. “I thought for sure fairies were supposed to be smaller than me. Not six foot tall redheads.”

            Karen bopped her on the nose as she entered Felicity’s room. “Sorry to disappoint.” She nodded down at Felicity. “You need to strip.” She threw the bag on Felicity’s bed. “This requires skin.”

            Felicity’s eyes fell to her minimal cleavage under the large sweatshirt she was wearing. “I don’t have much to hold stuff up.”

            “It’s not that type of skin, though that helps.” Karen reached for the door and pulled it open. “Knock when you’re all dressed. I’ll wait outside.”

            The second she was gone, Felicity revealed what was in the bag. _Holy shit!_ There was no way Felicity would be able to pull this off. All it was consisted of was a black one-piece. It was studded up around the breasts and the rest was leather. A brand new pair of fishnets were attached to the hanger.

            Felicity gulped. She was going to freeze even before she got over to the party. With a deep intake of breath, Felicity reached out and did the unthinkable. She put on the outfit.

 

OQFSOQFSOQFS

           

            “You look great,” Karen told Felicity as she pulled up outside the sorority house.

            Felicity played with the blonde wig Karen had given her to put on over her black hair. “Is this thing on straight?”

            “It’s perfect.” Karen pulled Felicity’s hands down from her head. “Leave it alone and give me your coat.”

            “I don’t know if I can do this,” Felicity admitted as her eyes began to stare out the window at the party goers that spread out everywhere.

            “You can.” Karen squeezed her hands. “You have the confidence and I believe in you. More than that, the second Oliver realizes it’s you, I doubt you’ll ever have a second to doubt yourself.”

            “Okay.” Felicity took a couple of deep breaths and stepped out of the car. She took off the coat and shivered at the coldness that invaded her skin. “Can I keep it at least? It’s freezing out here.”

            Karen nodded at her as she ducked down to stare up at Felicity. “Give it to Oliver. He’ll know where to put it so you can get it back easily.”

            “Thank you,” Felicity told her friend. “For everything. And wish me luck. This place is huge. It might take me a while to find him.”

            Something caught Karen’s eyes making them light up in laughter. “I don’t think luck is needed.” She smiled softly up at Felicity. “Reminds me of meeting Dia.”

            Dia was short for Brenda. Or at least that was the nickname Felicity had been told about. Dia had been Karen’s fiancée until a year ago, when she died in a car accident on her way to work. A deer had leapt in front of her car and when she slammed her breaks the car behind her never did, pushing Dia’s car down a ravine. The person who ran her off the road had never been found.

            Oliver appeared out of the crowd and jogged around to the driver’s side of Karen’s car. He knocked on her window until she rolled it down to talk to him. “Hey. Did you talk to Felicity?”

            “I did,” Karen told him.

            “And?” Oliver stared at her expectantly. “Is she coming?”

            Karen glanced over at Felicity before she went back to looking at Oliver. “That decision is up to her.”

            Felicity bit one of her bright red lips. Oliver honestly had no clue she was right there. Which was good because it allowed Felicity to glean some insight into what he was thinking.

            “She’s out with that other guy, isn’t she?” Oliver cursed. “I screwed up. I should have made sure I tracked her down myself to talk to her.”

            “Maybe. Maybe not,” Karen told him. “How badly do you want to fix this?” She tapped one finger on his hand that gripped onto her door. “Are you jealous?”

            “Fuck, yeah, I’m jealous.” Oliver straightened and crossed his arms. He looked ready to hurt someone. “I wasn’t fast enough. With the other guy. With meeting her. With not telling her I was sorry that I might have embarrassed her with Laurel.”

            He sounded so upset and sincere in his rant. But there was only one way to really prove that he actually wanted her and not the idea of her.

            Felicity draped her coat on the top of the car and sidled her way around on dangerously high heels. She had to think about it for a second, she was no actress to change her voice. “Hey, handsome.” She ran a hand over his chest that lay somewhat bare and he shrugged it off. “Want to dance?”

            “Not with you,” he told her with the briefest of glances. “And I don’t dance.”

            Karen tried to hide her amusement and that gave Felicity even more incentive to follow through. She pouted up at him. “Please.”

            Felicity pressed her entire body against his. She shimmied slightly. She never shimmied in her life until this moment. Oliver’s eyes barely flickered down to her. In a second, she was found wanting. It stung slightly.

            “You’re gorgeous, but I’m not interested.” Oliver’s eyes sparked with desire but he shook his head. He leaned against Karen’s door in an effort to escape some of Felicity’s movements. His eyes dropped to Karen. “Can you call her? I just need to talk to her. You don’t have to give me her number, just call so I can apologize.”

            “What are you sorry for, handsome?” Felicity asked in her best imitation of her mother.

            “This doesn’t involve you,” Oliver barely told her over his shoulder. “Please, Professor.”

            Karen shrugged, but her eyes met Felicity’s. She nodded at her mentor. “Okay.” Karen dialed the phone and Felicity’s coat began to ring.

            Felicity went over to answer it as quickly as she could on the heels she was not used to wearing. Digging it out of the folds of the coat, Felicity picked it up and answered. “Yes?”

            “Oliver would like to talk to you,” Karen said with a smile to her voice.

            “He just was,” Felicity told her. “He didn’t seem to care a moment ago.”

            Oliver’s eyes slowly rose to meet hers over the car’s roof. “Felicity?”

            She tapped her phone. “I thought you wanted to call and apologize.”

            He shook his head and slid over the hood of Karen’s car. He grabbed her by the waist, pulling the phone from her hand. He slammed it back on the top of the car. Oliver cradled her face in his hand. “I’m so sorry.”

            “I don’t know,” Felicity said with a shrug. “You kind of just brushed me off.”

            “Because I had no idea it was you.” His eyes trailed over her body and she noticed his Adam’s apple bob heavily in his throat. “I did tell you that you were gorgeous.”

            “Yes, you did,” she agreed.

            “Oh, just kiss her already,” Karen called out from inside the car.

            Felicity glanced around, pulling his hand from her face. “It appears we have an audience.”

            Oliver’s own eyes traveled over the group that had formed around them. “Yeah. You okay with that? Because it’s kind of a regular thing for me.”

            She contemplated that. Felicity might not mind occasional public displays of affection but to know that people might always be there watching her? It kind of scared her. Was Oliver worth all of that?

            Felicity stared up into his blue eyes and realized he was as unsure as she was. This wasn’t a joke for him. He was seriously interested in her and by the way he hesitated her opinion mattered. It was like she had this power over him in some way. Not that she asked for it. Some women would get off on it. For Felicity it was just another hurdle to cross. “I can try to be.”

            “Good, because I’ve been dying to do this since yesterday.” Oliver pulled her in tight to his chest and kissed her. Right there in front of everyone, he laid his claim. Not just on her, but to her. There were a million promises laid out in the press of his lips. Felicity returned it with a few of her own.

            When they broke apart, the crowd cheered. Even Karen let out a whoop of excitement.

            Oliver clenched her hand within his own. He gathered up her coat and phone and looped his arm around her waist. Knocking on Karen’s roof, Oliver bent down to smile at her. “Thank you. For everything.”

            “You’re welcome. Both of you.”

            Karen drove away and Oliver tugged Felicity even closer. “I think you owe me a last name.”

            “Smoak,” Felicity told him. “My last name is Smoak.”

            “Good.” He smiled at her and pulled her forward. “Now that is out of the way. I’d like to introduce you to some friends of mine.”

            “I’d like that.” Felicity smiled up at him. Professor Smith seemed like she was right. Sometimes the ones you least expected to fall in love with were the ones that you were meant to be with.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween everyone. This is my Halloween one-shot. There will be a Thanksgiving one next month. And one in December for Christmas/Chanukah.


End file.
